Trying to find out when did hot rodders start to use 4 link or 4 bar rear suspension. I had one old guy tell me he started seeing them in the mid to late 50s at the lakes races. If anyone has any old pictures or magazine articals would be great.
I know it was earlier than this but in 1974 I built a deuce sedan and made my own front and rear 4 bar setups using 7/8th 156 wall DOM tube with the ends tapped left and right and good quality greasable Heim joints with home made rear mounts and front batwings made from cut up wishbone yokes and on the rear 1 1/8th inch tube also tapped left and right with 5/8th greasable Heims and home made front and rear axle and frame brackets. Buggy springs on both ends. Was very adjustable and was still running when I saw the car 20 years later.
Yeah, I was going to say Norm had them of sorts on his T. They were Ford tie rods and ends configured like 4 bars. I know sprint cars and Indy cars used 4 bar suspensions in the ‘40’s and maybe in the ‘30’s too and the hot rodders were just copying them
The Ramchargers did a 4 link on the High and Mighty ~1958, I think it was one the first DRAG cars to use an actual 4 link.
They became one of the street rod hot licks in the mid 70's about the time that Krylon32 built the one that he mentioned. There was an article in one of the rod magazines about them being the latest hot lick suspension thing for street cars. They may have been on circle track cars well before that though.
I'm pretty sure they took off after Jim Jacobs made a set for his yellow 34 in the early 70s, and Pete & Jake's started selling them.
I believe dirt cars use 3 link on the front. Only need one on the left side. Lightly loaded and lighter in weight. Any I've seen are that way. Early ones may not have been. On dirt cars, 4 bars means 4 torsion bars, one on each corner.
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